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 Greenwich, CTRon Molloy Riverside, CTPeter Mullen Cos Cob, CTPaul Bordé |
Julia B. Dailey George Duarte Brendan O’Sullivan Tom Rosato Mary Beth Usury |
Jake Dolce Siobhan Hammer Dolce Hank Kosinski |
About us /Overview
(Also see our Staff Contact Info)
On January 6, 1982 , three people gathered in a small
storefront at the western end of Fordham Road in the Bronx
. Tim Boon, Sister Jane Iannucelli, Sister of Charity and
Father Ned Murphy, Society of Jesus, started the day making
soup. It was the first day of Part Of The Solution (POTS).
At that time, the original founders were told that POTS was
the 35th emergency food provider in New York City . Twenty-four
years later, there are over 170 providers in the Bronx
alone. POTS developed into a multi-service organization,
running programs out of two buildings on the same block
in the Bronx.
See our historical photos from our early beginings >>>
POTS’ Mission is to be a loving community in the Bronx that nourishes the basic needs and hungers of all who come to our door. POTS is challenged to respond to the individual and collective crisis in the lives of our guests and neighborhood. POTS attempts to foster personal development in all by providing a supportive environment so all can assess their strengths and weaknesses to move toward stability in income, housing and nutrition.
POTS recognizes
that a myriad of issues affect
crisis in individual’s lives. POTS responds
to these issues through three programs: The Basic Program,
The Homeless Prevention Program and The Transitional Residence
Program.
The core of the Basic Program is The Community Dining Room. The Community Dining Room looks and feels like a local diner. POTS believes the ambiance of the dining room is important to the self worth of those eating lunch or dinner with us. Each one of the six tables comfortably seat 4 guests at a time, allowing an intimacy conducive to conversation. Families dine together with the convenience of booster seats and high chairs. Guests are greeted, seated, and served their meal from volunteer staff.
Today, people
from all over the five boroughs of New York City and the
surrounding suburbs experience fellowship over a hot home-cooked
meal. An average of 280 hot meals are served every day
of the week. In 2002 POTS added
an evening meal to respond to the needs of our 
working
neighbors and those taking the necessary steps in Welfare
to Work Programs or day treatment in Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation
programs.
Thomas, one of our diners, volunteers in the dining room 8 hours a day. He says, “Doing this helps me keep to my program (fighting addiction) and stay out of trouble.” Mr. Perez, an elder in the neighborhood on a tight fixed income eats dinner with us regularly. A couple of months ago, he brought his date to join him. He says, “It’s the only way I can afford to have a social life.” |
The other Basic Program Services meet additional personal
needs: showers, clothes, haircuts, voice mail, a postal mailroom and Notary Public.
POTS seek to address our guests’ issues holistically. The Homeless Prevention Program includes established and proven services: Food Pantry, Case Management, Legal, Medical, Mental Health, and Community Organizing & Advocacy. These programs are effective at the prevention of homelessness and re-stabilization of poor people’s lives because they work in coordination with each other under one roof.
The Pantry Service is the cornerstone of The Homeless
Prevention Program providing supplemental food products
and non-food products to individuals and families who need
assistance balancing their food budgets. POTS is
the only Pantry Service open 5 days a week in the Bronx. An average of 450 families and individuals receive a
pantry every month, with 30 new households registering with
the service monthly. A family receives
pantry bags containing enough food to create 9 meals. Non-food items such as baby
products, hygiene and cleaning supplies are offered as
well...please, visit our Wish List from the Home Page!
| Desaire is on Public Assistance with 6 children. She utilizes the Pantry Service and the Family eats dinner in the Community Dining Room. She was referred to POTS for supportive services through her case manager at St. Barnabus’ alcohol and drug day-treatment program. Because of her obligations to her treatment program, she accesses the Pantry Service’ at the end of her day. POTS is the only Pantry Service with late hours in the Bronx upon request. |
Currently, POTS operates the Transitional Residence Program. The Men’s Transitional Residence houses 6 men for 6-24 months.
| Julio is a 38 year old with a history of major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse and homelessness known to POTS as a “regular” in the Community Dining Room. He asked Daune Moore, the Kitchen Manager, for help finding a place to live. He was escorted to the caseworker, Twila Waters, upstairs for a full assessment. It was determined that he might be a strong candidate for Supportive Housing if he were willing to address his mental health issues and alcohol abuse. Julio accepted a referral to a MICA Day Treatment program where he began seeing a psychiatrist and attending daily counseling and support groups. Meanwhile, he moved into the Men’s Transitional Residence while waiting for supportive Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing. Four months later, he qualified and was accepted into an SRO. He has been there 18 months and currently volunteers at Bronx AIDS Services. Julio continues aftercare with POTS’ caseworker. |
POTS’ Values are recognized by other organizations. POTS was awarded the first Annual Visionary Award by City Harvest, the largest and oldest food rescue program in the world with a network of 90 soup Kitchens in the Bronx alone. Julia Erickson, City Harvest Executive Director remarks after a site visit that POTS “makes their space and service as welcoming and dignified as possible for people who have humbled themselves to come for food - actually (the guests) suffer the humiliation of having to ask for food and (POTS) really cares that it be as easy for them as possible to take that difficult step.” POTS was honored at the Food Bank for New York City ’s Annual Gala Event in March 2004. POTS' current Guest Tracking, Program Utililazation and Effectiveness ~ on board January 2005. Other staff members participate in networking committees exploring Nutritional Values in Feeding Programs, Policy Updates & Information Dissemination, and Community Kitchen Service Standards.
Internally, POTS is responding to its exponential growth. In 2006 we have been reviewing and updating our strategic plan as we move toward our new vision of the future. Program and operational effectiveness were improved with the introduction of an information and data collection & analysis network system. The Homeless Prevention and Transitional Residence Programs were reorganized to incorporate a more comprehensive social work model of service delivery with an Intake & Assessment to better facilitate a sustainable self-sufficiency plan personalized with each guest.